Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells



April 21, 1942. c. E. HAHN 2,280,522

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CYLINDRICAL METAL SHELLS Filed Nov. 50, 1940 s Sheeis-Sheet 1 Fig.1. 74

lnven'tor': Clarence E. Hahn, b

9 Iv M His Awore Apr]! 21, 1942. c. E. HAHN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CYLINDRICAL METAL SHELLS Filed Nov. 30, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 'Ctar'ence E. Hahn, W/ HIS Nwtor'neg April 21, 1942. c. E. HAHN 2,280,522

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CYLINDRICAL METAL SHELLS Filed Nov. 30, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet a 'lnvewtovz Ctarence E. Hahn, DH fi-jd' His A tforneg.

fiatented Apr. 2i, 3%42 arenas-ms ron mama cnmnmoar.

mam. SHELLS Clarence E. Hahn, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 30, i940, Serial No. 368,027 15 Claims. (Cl. 198-29) apparatus separated from all other base-making apparatus and must be transferred to said apparatus in some manner. The usual procedure is to transfer a considerable number of the metal shells at a time and to feed the shells from a pile in which they lie in haphazard or disarranged fashion.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for automatically feeding the open-ended cylindrical metal shells of lamp bases in a satisfactory manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus for feeding base shells at a very high rate of speed in a manner easily coordinated with the operations of other base-making apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the apparatus of my invention will appear in the detailed description which follows of apparatus shown in the drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus comprising my invention with the upper half of the selector ring removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. with the near side of the feed channel and adjacent portion of the frame of the apparatus removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the apparatus along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the driving means for said apparatus; Fig. 5 is a vertical section along line 55 of Figs. 1 and 2 showing the shell clearing brush; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of modified selector ring of my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a section through said selector ring.

The object of the apparatus shown in the drawing is to feed the metal base shells l0 introduced into the apparatus by pipe I l to base-making apparatus (not shown) connected to the end of the channel l2. The feeding apparatus supplies the shells Ill to the channel I! at a very rapid rate and in the ordinary instance passes said shells in through said channel If to the basemaking apparatus in a continuous stream. The speed and manner of feeding the shells l0 permits the feeding apparatus to be readily used in combination with shell screw-threading apparatus of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 244,414, filed December '7, 1938, by Hahn and Boyer and assigned to the assignee of the Present invention.-

The pipe H conducting the shells ill to the feeding apparatus extends down into the open top of the hopper l3 to a predetermined position (as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3) and allows said shells ill to flow into the hopper l3 until a pile is formed which blocks up the end thereof. The end of the pipe ii is positioned so as to permit onlya limited number of shells M to collect in the hopper l3 at any one time and permits the shells ill to flow thereto automatically as they are needed. The fullest advantage of this construction can be received by attaching the upper end of the pipe ll to a large storage hopper mounted above the apparatus since the discharge of shell ill from the pipe Ii is completely automatic. The hopper 13 provides the means of advancing the shells lilto the pins M on the inner surface of the ring or carrier l5 which is mounted adjacent the edge thereof and limits the movement of the shells I!) 'to a restricted group of said pins ll at the lower extremity of said ring IS. The hopper I3 is mounted on the generally rectangular frame iii of the apparatus which surrounds the lower portion thereof whereas the ring I5 is a movable member and is mounted on four rollers ll on each of two vertically disposed arms l8 of said frame IS.. The shells ID are caused to travel toward the pins by the sloping bottom of the hopper l3 which terminates just above the tops of thepins i4 and are confined to the surface provided by said pins 14 by the plate l9 which extends over the opening in the far side of said ring IS. The outer edges of the hopper l3 and the plate [9 do not coincide with the inner edge of the ring l5 and the arcuate plates 20 and 2i respectively are attached thereto to close the space between them.

In the regular order of operation of'the apparatus, the ring I5 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) in the vertical plane in which it is located so that the pins M are carried from left to right through the piled shells Ill. The

movement of the ring l5 presents each pin M in turn to the shells l0 which turn and rotate until the end thereof having the larger opening therein'is carried over an end of a pin l4 and the shell l0 slips completely onto said pin it. The partially closed end of the shell I0 is then uppermost since it has an opening therein too small to pass over the pin l4 and the shell III which is held in the substantially upright position of said pin I4 is properly orientated. The pins M are nested so closely on the inner surface of the ring I 5 that the shells Ill must slip over the end thereof in order to be carried along therewith. In this particular instance, the pins ll have round heads and extend obliquely from the ring l5 so that they may pick up the shell more readily'and are arranged in a. plurality of alternately spaced peripheral rows in order that they may pick up the desired number of shells I0. The means of rotating the ring is provided in the belt 22 which extends up and over the top of said ring I6 and down under the pulley 23 (Fig. 4) of the driving means for the apparatus. The pulley 23 is mounted on the shaft 24 of the speed reducer 25 which is coupled to the electric motor 26 through the belt 21 and pulleys 26 and 29. The selector ring I5 is kept in proper alignment with the edge of the hopper I3 by the flanges on the rollers l1 and by the rollers 30 on the bar 3| extending from the stationary bracket 32.

On occasion, however, a shell in is carried from the pile which is not correctly positioned on the pins l4 and is brought into engagement with the rotating brush 34 which endeavors to push it completely onto said pin l4 or to disengage it therefrom. The brush 34 is made from fine wire and cannot injure the shell in if it still persists -in sticking to the pins l4. As shown in Fig. 5,

the brush 34 is mounted on the spindle 35 carried by the bearings held by the bracket 32 and is ro tated in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) by an electric motor 36 which is coupled thereto by pulley 31, belt 38 and pulley 35. The bracket 32 is attached to the upper portion of a larger bracket 46 which rests on the upper surface of the frame l6 and which provides the support for motor 36 and adjacent portions of the apparatus on the opposite side of the ring 15 from hopper l3. Should a shell l0 still project out beyond the end of the pins |4 abnormally after passing the brush 34, it will strike the end of the partition 4| and be forced from the ring IS.

The pins l4 are all inserted in the selector ring l6 at such an angle that there is no tendency for the shells ID to slip, therefrom until they have moved above the partition 4| whereupon said partition prevents them from moving therefrom. When the pins 14 are directly over the many shells iii are placed on the disc 43 to permit them to be arranged in a single column, the excess shells ID will be carried forward with said disc 43 and be brought into engagement with the stationary spring finger 46 which holds them back until they can move into the column. A plate 41 covers a portion of the path traversed by the shells Hi to prevent them from climbing over each other and upsetting while they are being arranged. As shown in Fig. 3, disc 43 is fastened to a hub 43 on the upper end of the shaft 49 which is mounted in bearings held by bracket and'is driven through said shaft 49 which is connected to shaft 5| through the intermeshing gears 52 and 53. The shaft 5| is held in hearings in the bracket 46 which is mounted in the central opening in bracket '50 and extends downward to the driving means shown in Fig. 4 which provides bearings in the gear case 54 for holding said end and the bevel gears 55 and 56 for connecting it to the driven shaft 24. The finger 46 is attached to the bracket 32 in combination with a second guide bar 51 which extends completely around the hub 48 and which keeps the shells In from striking said hub 48 at any point.

The column of shells I6 advanced beyond the finger 46 follows along the guide bar and enon around by it. The segment 59 and the guide center of the ring l5, the partition 4| carries the full weight of the shells l6 and the pins l4 serve only to move said shells Ill along. Directly beyond the said center, the partition 4| curves down and back and a second partition 42 extends along the side of the first forminga passage down which the shells I 6 travel by their own weight. "Ihe purpose of the passage is to invert the shells l6 so that the partially closed end is uppermost and to conduct said shells 16 to the upper surface of the-counter-clockwise rotating disc 43 which advances them from here on. Only the back edge of the passage is closed. and if it should be blocked for any reason, the shells III will build up until a wedge is formed which directs the excess shells I6 out the open forward edge thereof where they fall into the open mouth of the hopper l3. The portion of the partition following'the curvature of the ring I5 isattached to the panel 44 on bracket 32 which closes off the back face of the adjacent portion of the passage whereas the remainder of the partition 4|, all of partition 42 and the panel 44' closing off the remainder of the passage are provided by a single metal casting attached to, the bracket 32 as shown in Fig. 3.

At the time the shells I6 drop onto the disc 43, they are in four columns correspondingto those of the pins H of the selector ring II but the high rotative speed of the disc 43 causes them to be thrown outward from the center thereof and into engagement with the guide bar 45 which causes them to be arranged into'a single column. If too ters the channel formed by the continuation 56 of said bar 45 and the segment 56. It is not possible for all of the shells I0 fed along the disc 43 to enter the channel since the selector ring I! and associated parts of the apparatus must be operated at a greater speed than the shells I. are fed from the apparatus as they advance the shells in at an irregular rate. Theshells II which cannot enter the channel are usually forced around the preceding shells l6 toward the hub 46 by rotation of the disc 43 and are carried bar 60 prevent these shells ID from being thrown from the disc 43 at this time and direct them toward the opening 6| (Fig. 2) in bracket 32 which permits them to fall back into the hopper I3 and be pickedup again by the selector ring l5 when needed. In instances when no shells III are being fed from the apparatus and they are not moving through the channel, all of the shells l6 received on the disc 43 are returned to the hopper l3.

A bar 62 is mounted directly over the shells ID at the entrance of the channel to keep the shells In from being .disarranged and interfering with the feeding operations. The pressure of the incoming shells I6 is comparatively small and only forces the shells l0 onto a moving circular ring 63 (Figs. 2 and 3 particularly) extending completely around the disc 43, the selector ring I5 and the hopper l3. The ring 63 is mounted on four equidistantly spaced rollers 64 like that indicated -in Fig. 2 which are mounted on pins 65 carried by the frame and which support and position said ring 63 inthe manner shown. The bar 62 only extends over the first few shells II on the ring 63 as the pushing force generated by the disc 43 is then almost completely dissipated and the shells "I no longer have any tendency to climb over one another. in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. l) at a uniform rate of speed determined by the ratios of the gears of the means shown in Fig. 3 coupling it to driven shaft 5|. As shown in this figure, the inner face of the ring 63 has gear teeth 66 which mesh with the spur gear 61 mounted on the ball bearings 58 carried by the driving shaft The ring 531s turnedgear 10 on the upper end of the driven shaft 5|. After the shells l are carried past the segment they are kept in the circular channel circuiting the apparatus by other segments to the bar 58 and other bar segments ll appropriately spaced from each other. Finally when the channel begins to overlap, the bar 58 and bar segments ll straighten out and lead the shells III to a discharge location !2. The channel is preferably continued in the threading apparatus as shown in the apparatus disclosed in application Serial No. 244,414 hereinbefore referred to until the shells iii are conducted to the point of use. The channel, however, leaves the path of movement of the ring 63 and the shells in must push each other along. A movable bar I3 is mounted over the latter portion of the channel to keep the shells ill from climbing over each other and interfering with their regular order of movement. The bar 13 is attached to arms 14 pivoted on the pin 15 and can be raised to give access to the shells lb.

The shell feeding apparatus can be used to feed base shells having different forms. In such instances, the pins on the inner surface of the selector ring may be spaced differently so that the shells will pass over said pins and yet not become wedged therebetween. If a shell 10' having screw threads therein like that shown in Figs. 6 and 7, for instance, is to be fed, each peripheral row of pins 14', as shown in the portions of the modified selector ring I5 shown in said figures, is spaced a greater distance from the adjoining pins l4 so, as to allow for the greater effective thickness thereof. Each peripheral row of pins it must then be separated by a partition or other blocking means 16 in order to fill up the space between alternate pins M of the adjacent rows thereof and prevent the shells Ill from wedging into the unusually large space therebetween. The partitions 16 are ring-shaped and are attached directly to the selector ring I5 so as to turn therewith.

It is also preferred that the pins it be shaped differently in the modification of my apparatus shown in Figs. 6 and? in order that all tendency of the shells iii to catch on each other be eliminated. The screw threads and the re-entrant portion 71 at the end of these particular shells l0 make it desirable to provide substantially cylindrical pins 14' having rounded upper corners and a very smooth surface. The pins it are set on the ring l5 at an angle so that they are inclined toward the direction of movement thereof as in the prior instance and difier from a cylindrical shape only in the angularity (ten degrees) of the curvature on the side 18. The angularity of the side of the pins It gives them a tapered appearance and permits an incorrectly positioned shell 10' to slide off said pin IE without catching onto a shell ill on the next lower pin Id.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a plurality of movable pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells and arranged, at a given point in their travel, in an upright position, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells in a pile on the top of said pins at the said given point in their travel, means for moving said pins sideward to displace the shells and urge the open end thereof to pass over the ends of said pins so that they are orientated and held by the said pins and for moving said pins to an inverted position at a second location 'to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receitving and conducting said shells from said loca ion.

2. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal opening in the shells extending inwardly from a the surface of said ring, means for confining a. plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for.

rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

3. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, a stationary hopper mounted against the lower portion of one edge of said ring for confining the shells on the tops of the pins and supporting an overflow of the pile of disarranged shells formed thereon, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

4. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and. to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means forming the top, bottom and one side of a passage for receiving and conducting the required shells away from the ring and permitting the excess shells to be forced out the open side of the passage, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

5. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, a rotatable brush mounted within the opening in the ring adjacent the path of 'movement of the pins for dislodging any shell improperly positioned on said pins, and means for the inverted pins away from the ring.

6. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a. vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells mounted in very closely arranged transverse and peripheral rows and extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to'an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

7. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells mounted in very closely arranged transverse and peripheral rows and extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, blocking means between each peripheral row of pins to prevent the shells from wedging between said pins, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

8. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having anopening in one end comprising a. rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending obliquely inwardly from the surface of the ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring in the direction of the angular deviation of said pins to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from the ring.

'9. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a'rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a

plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending obliquely inwardly from the surface of the ring, said pins being tapered in radial direction, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring in the direction of the angular deviation of said pins to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted positionso as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells'away from the ring.

10. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a receiving and conducting the shells dropping from rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells mounted in very closely arranged transverse and peripheral rowsand extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, a, rotatable disc mounted in horizontal position adjacent the ring, means for receiving the shells dropped from the pins and conducting them to the upper surface of the disc, means forming a channel for conducting said shells in a single column from the apparatus having the mouth thereof adjacent the periphery of said disc, and means for rotating the said disc to cause said shells to be rearranged and conducted into the open mouth of said channel. 7

11. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane,-a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells on top of the pins at the lower extremity of the ring, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, means forming a channel adapted to conduct said shells from the apparatus, means for receiving the shells dropped from the pins and introducing them into said channel, and means providing a movable bottom for said channel for moving them therethrough.

12. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening inone end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, a stationary hopper mounted against the lower portion of one edge of said ring for confining the shells on the tops of the pins and supporting an overfiow of the pile of disarranged shells formed thereon, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, means below the upper portion of the ring for forming the top and bottom of a passage for receiving and conducting the shells away from said ring, and means closing off the side of the passage opposite that over the hopper to cause the excess shells presented thereto to be forced out the open side and fall into said hopper.

13 Apparatus for feeding cylindrical metal shells having an opening in one end comprising a rotatable ring mounted in a vertical plane, a plurality of pins corresponding in size to the opening in the shells extending inwardly from the surface of said ring, a stationary hopper mounted against the lower portion of one edge of said ring for confining the shells on the tops of the pins and supporting the overflow of the pile of disarranged shells formed thereon, means for rotating the ring to cause the pins to displace the shells so as to urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and be definitely orientated thereby and to move said pins to an inverted position so as to cause the shells to drop therefrom, a rotatable disc mounted in a horizontal position adjacent the open top of the hopper, means for receiving the shells dropped from the pins and conducting them to the upper surface of the disc, means forming a channel for conducting said shells from the apparatus having the mouth thereof adjacent the periphery of said disc, means for rotating the said disc to cause said shells to be rearranged and conducted into the open mouth of the channel, and means about the periphery of said disc for keeping any excess shells on the disc until they are opposite the hopper and can be discharged into said hopper.

14. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical shells having an opening in one end comprising a plurality of movable pins corresponding in size to the openings in the shells and arranged, at a given point in their travel, in an upright position, said pim being arranged close together in a plurality of relatively fixed rows, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells in a pile on top of said pins at the said given point in their travel, means for moving said pins sideward to displace the shells and urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of said pins and for further moving said pins to an inverted position at a second location to cause the shells to drop therefrom, and means for receiving and conducting said shells away from said location.

15. Apparatus for feeding cylindrical shells having an opening in one end comprising a carrier member having a plurality of rows of pins projecting from its surface and corresponding in size to the openings in the shells, said carrier being arranged to move said pins through a curved path so that at a given point in their travel they are arranged in upright position and at a second point in their travel they are arranged in inverted position, means for confining a plurality of disarranged shells in a pile on top of said pins at the first said given point in their travel, means for moving said carrier to carry the pins sideways so as to displace the shells and urge the open ends thereof to pass over the ends of the pins and to further carry said pins to said second point of their travel to cause the shells to drop therefrom,- and means for receiving and conducting said shells from said second point.

CLARENCE E. HAHN. 

